UP marks record safety performance
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefUnion Pacific said Tuesday its 2010 employee safety performance was the best in the company’s nearly 150-year history. Union Pacific’s full-year employee reportable injury rate was 1.37, a 6% improvement over the previous best of 1.45 established in 2009.
A company’s injury rate is calculated using the number of injuries per 200,000 worker hours, which is equivalent to the number of hours worked by 100 full-time employees in a year.
“Employees being more aware of risk, improving and standardizing best practices and embracing Total Safety Culture were key factors in our 2010 performance,” said Bob Grimaila, Union Pacific vice president-Safety, Security and Environment. “Maintaining a safe work environment contributes to the railroad’s operating efficiency, enhances reliability and service for our customers, and most importantly keeps employees out of harm’s way. We believe all incidents are preventable and will continue to find ways to achieve our ultimate goal of zero injuries.”
